Get rid of Headache

We all often hear the word headache from some or the other daily, if not we ourselves get it sometimes. Headaches may be due to various causes. Its not the same for all.Here I am with causes,symptoms and some solutions for your headache. Ayurveda classifies headaches mainly as Vata,Pitta, and kapha....

Causes of headache:

Headache is not only a problem in head....it is related to whole body. Since brain is the center of all the functions of the body it is affected with any disturbance in other parts of the body as well.So whenever you get a headache dont just run for a painkiller which suppresses just the ache for sometimes not the actual problem hidden with.

Emotional/Stress headaches:
This is very common these days with our 'No Time' life style.
Headaches due to anxiety,fear and insecurity are Vata types
stress,anger,jealousy,judgment,envy are the causes of Pitta headache.
Kapha headaches are due to depression,greed and possessiveness.

Refereed Headaches: This type of headache may be due to any infection in tooth/gum,nose,throat,ear,tonsils,sinuses.


Pathological headaches: They may be due to some dysfunction in vertex of the brain like in CVA (cerebro vascular accident), tumours in pituitary glands or high blood pressure.

Migraine headaches:
This is most commonly seen as a result of imbalance in both vata and pitta and it involves dilatation of cranial blood vessels or the carotid artery. Usually Migraine begins during Pitta time of the day (10 am to 2 pm) and losts for about 48-72 hours.There are various types of Migraine again.

Allergic headaches:
Allergic head aches are usually due to an allergic reaction and sensitivity to strong smell of certain toxic products such as disinfects,insecticides,perfumes,dyes,carbon monoxide,alcohol etc

Systemic headaches: Dysfunctions of various systems of the body like diabetes,congestive heart failure,nephritis,edema,hormonal imbalance etc.

Eye diseases such as glaucoma and vision problems might causes headache due to disturbance in Alochaka Pitta.

Metabolic imbalance like indigestion,absorption and assimilation, constipation are also reason behind some headaches.

Headache management:
Stop taking pain killers whenever you get headache. They create enormous side effects on you body disturbing all three doshas especially Vata and Pitta. And if you keep on taking eating painkillers you will never know the hidden cause behind your headache well before you reach emergency.Hence do not go for pain killers. Believe me I sometimes get headache and never had one pain killer for that.Consult a doctor if you get headaches very often to know the cause.Especially if you are above 30 years of age you must consult a doctor for you headache or let your doctor know about your headache when you go for general check ups.

Ayurvedic herbs and therapies are safe to go with.Here are few things you can do to get relief from headaches.

-Apply pastes or oils of Musk,nutmeg,camphor,sandalwood,jasmine,rose,clove,ginger,cinnamon,cardamom give relief from headache.
-Mixture of Camphor mixed with ghee applied over fore head should give a relief.
-Grape juice mixed with honey can be consumed in case of headache with nausea,dizziness,weakness.
-Take few drops of ghee on your hand and add saffron bits to it and rub your hands for 2-3 minutes. Then take out all the saffron and apply only the ghee on forehead.
-Apply oil to your scalp regularly to avoid headaches.
- Make a paste of Tulsi and cardamom and apply.
-Avoid intake of oily foods especially foods containing MSG like fast foods,Chinese food,Gobi Manchurian,chocolates and dairy products.
-Avoid alcohol,carbonated drinks and meat.
-Drink plenty of luke warm water.
-Dont ever suppress natural urges like sneezing, hunger,thirst,sleep,yawning,passing urine and stools.
Stop taking pain killers whenever you get headache. They create enormous side effects on you body disturbing all three doshas especially Vata and Pitta. And if you keep on taking eating painkillers you will never know the hidden cause behind your headache well before you reach emergency.Hence do not go for pain killers. Believe me I sometimes get headache and never had one pain killer for that.Consult a doctor if you get headaches very often to know the cause.Especially if you are above 30 years of age you must consult a doctor for you headache or let your doctor know about your headache when you go for general check ups.
Nasya/sniffing:
It is a best and effective method used in Ayurveda in cases of acute and chronic headaches.
Pure ghee in Vata,brahmi gritha (ghee) in Pitta and Vacha Taila in Kapha are used for this purpose.
-Half tsp ginger paste mixed with 1 table spoon of milk and administered 2 drops ineach nostril twice a day should give better results.
-There are various other oils and herbal juices such as Tulsi(Holy Basil),Garlic, Ginger,almond etc administered this way in different types of headaches.
- Avoid inverted Poses while doing Yoga if you have headache and perform only simple asanas such as Bhujangasana,Navasana,Dhanurasana,Pavanamuktasana.
-Meditation helps a lot to balance prana in healing headaches especially in tension headaches.
-Yoga nidra and Ujjayi Pranayama can be done for easy flow of Prana.

Last but not the least you will definitely get headache if you have head :) and you have to visit my blog if you get headache.

Neti (Jalaneti)-Nasal Cleansing

I was watching Oprah show one day and its was an episode with Dr.Oz showing the procedure of Neti.Yes...Neti is a procedure from yoga, one among shat kriyas(six purification techniques). It is an easy procedure and is best used in sinus problems. It is other wise known as nasal irrigation or nasal cleansing.
There are two types in Neti, Jala(water) neti and sutra (string) neti. Jala neti is designed to remove the nasal irritants from upper pharynx and to moisten and rehydrate the nasal passages.
Sutra neti is relieves congestion ans stagnant mucous of the sinuses, eyes,throat and head.
Here I am writing all about Jala Neti for now.

Jala Neti:



You need a Neti pot for this and saline water. It is a simple procedure of washing nasal septi.
You get various types of Nethi pots in market made of steel,copper,clay,plastic etc. Its not expensive.
Wash it well before you use each time and keep.
Make saline water by adding approximately 1/4 tsp of pure(non-iodized) salt to a cup (about 8 oz) of luke warm water.Water should not be too cold or too hot. Is it is too cold it will cause nasal congestion. If it is hot it will burn the mucous membrane lining. It should better be closer to your body temperature.

Procedure:
-Fill the saline water in Neti pot. Stand in front of the sink with the head over the sink.
- Tuck your Chin slightly in and towards one side.
-Point the expelling nose down and forward.
-Now place the spigot of the neti pot into the upper nostril.
-Carefully tilt the Neti pot into the raised nostril so
that the saline water inside flows out from the bottom nostril.
-If the water doesn't come out of the bottom nostril just tilt the lower nostril forward and downwards to force the water toward gravity.
-The water flows down to the sink.
-Use one neti pot full of water to one nostril and repeat it through the other nostril again.
It can be done with in 3 minutes once you get practised
-Breath through the mouth during this procedure.
-When your are done with one nostril exhale deeply several times to clear nasal passages.
-Perform Kapalabhati pranayama after neti standing straight.
-Then perform shashankasana when all the water is expelled out and nose is dry.



Contraindications:
Jala neti is not contraindicated as such in any conditions, but it is better to perform under guidance of an expert if you suffer from hypertension, migraine ,nasal bleeding or with a history of nasal medications.

Uses of Jala Neti:
-Neti practised on daily basis helps to keep sinuses clean and make breathing easier and more free.
-Clears the nasal blockage from dust,pollen, irritants and pollutants.
-Saline water is similar to concentration of tears and it washes away viruses, bacteria and mucus from nasal passages.
-It s considered that nostrils are the gateway for many of the diseases. Neti helps to filter all the pollutants,dusts etc.
-It prevents all the respiratory disease like chronic sinusitis,hey fever and other lower respiratory tract diseases.
-Useful in Chronic headache
-It improves eye sight.
-It stops the hair fall and prevents hair from premature greying.

Note:Neti is done under the guidance of expert for the best results.